When all is said and done, the proposal Constitution Pipeline submits to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a thumbs-up-or down-will represent an effort to balance everyone's concerns.
That's according Williams representatives Chris Stockton, Matthew Swift, and Chris Staffel, who met with the Times-Journal Thursday after the second of two open houses held in Cobleskill.
Many of those at Wednesday's open house came with questions on "Alternative Route M", which would place the pipe along I-88 as one of 15 alternatives to the route originally proposed, in part, through the Schoharie Valley. (See related story.)
"We're looking for the route that will have the least amount of impact-both on people and the environment," Mr. Stockton, senior communications specialist, said, "but in some cases, it's just shifting the impact."
Mr. Swift, project manager, said the interest in the I-88 alternative came about fairly quickly and Wednesday's open house was a chance for people to ask questions before the FERC scoping session, 7-10pm Tuesday, September 25 at Schoharie Central School.
Mr. Stockton said land agents like those at the open houses at the Best Western have been assigned individual landowners whose questions and concerns will be used to finalize the exact preferred route.
The alternatives will also be included in the FERC application, Mr. Swift said, so the agency can see why Constitution picked the route it eventually ends up choosing.
It's always possible, he said, that FERC will suggest going with one of the alternatives-or part of one.
"It's a long process," Mr. Stockton said, "and I understand the frustration. People want to know what the route will be. That's what we'll be looking at now."
Despite the call to run the pipeline along I-88, both Mr. Stockton and Mr. Swift said there's really not enough room.
Mr. Stockton acknowledged it can be difficult for landowners to see the project's benefits but pointed to the $5 million the firm expects to pay in Schoharie County, town, and school taxes for the pipeline infrastructure as one of them.
Constitution has also set up a program of community grants of up to $25,000 each as a sort-of olive branch for the disruption it's causing, "so what's for some a bitter pill to swallow isn't so hard," he said.
"We have no history here. We're trying to build a reservoir of faith."
Landowners will be paid both a 110-foot workspace rent while the line is being built-typically a year--and a 50-foot permanent easement based on full value assessment of the actual acreage involved.
Constitution will also pay for damage to crops and timber, based on independent appraisals, for a year or even two, Mr. Stockton said, and will also restore the topsoil to its original condition.
One of the things FERC will consider when reviewing Constitution's application, both Mr. Stockton and Mr. Swift said, is whether the pipeline is needed.
They contend it is; otherwise, there's no way to get the gas out of Pennsylvania to the Iroquois and Tennessee Gas Pipelines, they said.
They denied, however, that it will encourage hydrofracking.
"We can only build for what we have conteacts for based on gas production in Pennsylvania," Mr. Stockton said.
"FERC won't let us overbuild. We can't just roll the dice that someday there will be [natural gas] production in New York. The line will be built at capacity."
Mr. Swift said Williams has been in close contact with FERC while developing the project.
That will end, he said, once the application is submitted.
FERC could take six months to a year to make a decision.